A conversation with my American friend

I asked an American female friend living in one of the suburbs of San Francisco about their condition — how she and her family were faring during the crisis.

She replied that her daughter and she were suffering from coughing and shortness of breath. However, the health authorities had instructed her to stay at home since she was not suffering from a high temperature.

I asked her about the conditions in the city and its suburbs, whose roads and markets I know very well.

She replied that people have been gripped by panic, have gone into panic buying and were stockpiling food and tissues and including toilet paper. She said she found that totally dumb!

For a moment, I imagined how the scene was. This place was throbbing with glittering life all the time, its malls and markets were full of all kinds of goods and foods to the extent you would think it was the most ideal place on earth.

But today it can be likened to a scene in a “Doomsday” Hollywood movie when order collapses and chaos takes over, people are gripped by horror and their city is turned into a state of barbarism and brutality!

I sent her some video clips and text messages, taken and written by some Americans residing in Saudi Arabia. They describe the situation in Saudi Arabia and refuse to go back to America.

I explained to her the measures our government has taken, how suspicious cases are dealt with, conditions in the quarantines and how Saudi citizens stranded abroad are being provided all care.

I also mentioned the humanitarian decisions taken by the King to provide healthcare to whoever is on Saudi soil, including illegal residents. So she reminded me of a conversation between us in one of the cafes, in which my wife also took part.

It focused on the political, cultural and economic divides between the first and third world. These were fake divides created by capitalism to consolidate their control and achieve their interests.

She reminded me that I used to view her opinions as influenced by her leftist liberalism.

She said: “Just take a look at how your leaders have given top priority to the human being while our leaders have given priority to the economy. You will know that the dividing line between the first and third world has nothing to do with political hegemony, military might or economic power, but human value!”